Seasonal Clearance

  • Gift Giving: 12 Days of Christmas

    It’s that time of year again…..excitement is building and the countdown to the final days of Christmas draws nearer.  This year we decided to spread the Holiday Cheer out at our house this year by doing the 12 Days of Christmas again.  I did this last year and  the year before; both years it was a huge hit!

    Christmas morning can be so busy and this allows an opportunity to spread the fun over 12 days instead of packing everything into one day.  Starting December 13th the girls will be able to open one a day with the last one being opened on Christmas Eve.  The cost in the previous years was less than $20 total, including boxes and wrapping paper, however, we decided to add their “big” gift to this stack.  Most of the gifts were bought on clearance over the past year and their big gift really wasn’t that much because we got a great deal on it.  We did a joint stack for both of our girls, although you can choose to do a stack for each person.

    12 Days of Christmas

    • Day 1:  Reindeer Christmas Socks (purchase last year after Christmas on clearance with rewards)
    • Day 2:  White Christmas Teddy Bear Shaped Soap (purchased last year after Christmas on clearance and with rewards)
    • Day 3:  “B” and “K” Candy Cane Striped Christmas Ornament for each girl (purchased last year after Christmas on clearance with rewards)
    • Day 4:  Christmas Stocking Sticker Craft (purchased on clearance with rewards)
    • Day 5:  Two Colgate Kids Christmas Toothpastes  (purchased on clearance with rewards)
    • Day 6:  Two Christmas Games – Pin the Star on the Tree & Christmas Checkers (purchased on clearance with rewards)
    • Day 7:  Christmas Bear Pez Dispensers and Pez Candy Packs (purchased with rewards on clearance)
    • Day 8:  Disney Cars Christmas Spiral Notebooks (purchased on clearance with rewards)
    • Day 9:  Gingerbread House Kit (purchased on clearance)
    • Day 10:  Princess and Frosty Hot Chocolate Tins Sets (found on clearance at Kmart and used gift card)
    • Day 11:  New Winter PJ’s for each to wear (picked up on sale)
    • Day 12: New Digital Camera’s (purchased when it was on sale with Swagbucks gift cards)

    Their cameras are their “big” items for Christmas this year.  Jake and I decided to give them to the girls for the last day of their 12 Days of Christmas so they would have the cameras to use on Christmas Day.  The girls are taking more and more pictures these days.  The inexpensive, non-English digital cameras that we bought for them several years ago have held up remarkably well.  Whenever their cameras are not working over the past several months they were asking to borrow mine to use so we decided to do a little research, save up (including earning Swagbucks) and get them a little better quality cameras this year since they both are showing a big interest in photography and creative writing.  The cameras made my typical $20 or less 12 Days of Christmas gifts a little higher this year but since it included their big gift for the Holidays I am okay with that because they will be so excited to start using them.  This time around we got the same camera, but in different colors to help keep track whose is whose without putting names on each camera.

    Other Ideas for 12 Days of Christmas:

    • Hair Accessories
    • Facial Cleansers or Make Up – if you have a teenager just starting to wear makeup or want to update your collection my Mary Kay contact is doing a 12 Day of Christmas set!  If your husband is looking for something awesome to get you he may want to contact Ann too.
    • Socks or Tights
    • Chapstick
    • Socks
    • Gloves or Scarf
    • Card Game
    • Construction Paper
    • Markers or Crayons
    • Matchbox cars
    • Small Toys
    • Baby Doll Clothes
    • Christmas Underwear
    • The ideas are endless!

    I wrapped them in the original boxes or found ones around the house to put the items into.  The Christmas paper was purchased on clearance and I used a coupon.  Many of the items we purchased on clearance throughout the year and / or used CVS – ECBs and Walgreens – Register Rewards, Swagbucks Gift Cards or Coupons.  I cannot remember the price for all the items but with the rewards it very reasonable price for 12 gifts and some days had multiple items in them.

    We did a joint stack for our girls to save money, however, the items we picked match their individual interests (for example, the pj’s were themed to match each girls tastes).  When the girls walked into the room and saw the stack of gifts they were super excited.  Love seeing their faces and hearing their comments when they first see the stack.

  • You Never Know….What You Might Find!

    You never know what you may find in the clearance section at a store.  During a quick trip to BiLo (a local grocery store) to grab a gallon of milk I noticed these two chairs sitting up in the front of the store.  As I was speed walking past them to get the milk and I thought to myself that’s an odd place for two chairs and the second thought was those chairs are pretty cute!  While standing in line waiting to check out they caught my attention again so I got out of line, went over to them and found out they were marked down to $2 (originally priced over $20).  They were the last two chairs and the store was trying to move the final pieces of their seasonal stock.  These are the only 2 chairs I have ever bought in a grocery store but it goes to show you never know what you may find when you go out to get a gallon of milk!

    When the girls got home from school that day I had the two chairs set up in their room.  They were excited and gushing over how “cute” the chairs were.  I didn’t have to ask or tell them which chair was for who they knew instantly, that’s one of the joys of having twins with two very different personalities.  Since then the chairs have been used for reading, watching TV, playing school and many other fun activities.  Each girl has their own chair so their is no disagreements on who got the chair first or who has been sitting in it the longest…..do those types of conversations take place at your house too?!

    The chairs are big enough the girls are comfortable, but small enough they can carry them from room to room.  I love that they have so much personality with the smiling frog and cheerful ladybug!  Sometimes it is worth it to take the extra minute to glance at the clearance section, you might find a something you need or a fun treasure.  Although their favorite place to sit when we read a book together is still on our laps, which is fine with me because someday soon these precious days of them being little girls will be a thing of the past!

  • CVS: Spent $0.70 and $3 ECB’s Back

    CVS Deals

    I went to CVS today to use up a couple ECB’s that were about to expire.  I was able to get the items pictured above for $0.70 including tax and received $3.00 ECB’s to use on my next CVS purchase.   The CVS didn’t have any of the items I was looking for in stock but they did price match the peanut butter for me and give me a ECB for it.  I was able to stock up on their Halloween clearance snacks and candy.  I have several upcoming events and parties that I have to put goody bags together for so it worked out really well.  I was able to get my free CVS gift card worth $10.00 from a previous shopping trip.  The only coupons I used today were ones from the ECB’s that were expiring today.  I am thankful for an opportunity to get these items at such an amazing  discount so we can share with others (my family will not be eating all this sugar)! 🙂

    You can get great deals even without clipping a lot of coupons.  My receipt shows that as of November 2nd I have saved over $1,700  at CVS this year so you can do it without investing a lot of time into it or being an extreme couponer that empties the shelves.  Over time the savings add up and I have even taken several weeks off here and there while I have been busy or traveling or when our stock pile is full.   All of the items I purchased were on sale or clearance.  The candy was originally $3.99 each, but I was able to get it on clearance even though it is not expiring until late next year.  Here is what I purchased this week.

    • 2 – Skippy Peanut Butter for $5.00  ($2.50 each, they price matched this item and I received $3.00 ECB’s back making the peanut butter $1.00 per jar)
    • 1 – $10 CVS Gift Card for $0.00 FREE! (used a $10.00 Gift Card ECB so this gift card was free)
    • 2 – Butterfinger Fun Size (12.5 oz each) for $1.98 (on clearance for $0.99 each)
    • 2 – Cookies N’ Cream  (10 oz each) for $1.98 (on clearance for $0.99 each)
    • 2 –Milky Way Simply Caramel  (11 oz each) for $1.98 (on clearance for $0.99 each)
    • 2 – Nestle Crunch (11.5 oz each) for $1.98 (on clearance for $0.99 each)
    • 2 – Wonka Nerds  (12 oz each) for $1.98 (on clearance for $0.99 each)
    • 1 – Twizzler Strawberry Twists Fun Pack  (22 oz) for $0.99
    • 2 – Whoppers Snack Packs  (9 oz each) for $1.50 (on clearance for $0.75 each)
    • 1 – Nestle 100 Grands (12.5 oz) for $0.99
    • 4 – Halloween Oreo Snack Packs (9 oz each) for $3.00 (on clearance for $0.75 each)

    Here are the coupons I used on the items.

    • Used $10.00 CVS ECB’s Gift Card Reward
    • Used $20.00 CVS ECB’s

    I received $3.00 ECB’s back today:

    • $3.00 ECB’s for Jiffy Products (my local CVS substituted Skippy for me)

    Today I was able to save $69.18 at CVS by purchasing these items and using coupons (over 95% savings).

    When you shop the CVS sales regularly and have ECB’s that you can roll over toward future purchases the bonus ECB’s start adding up (Green Bag Tags and Beauty Club).  As you can see from my shopping trip today you don’t have to purchase a lot to save money when shopping at CVS.  Plus you can use the additional ECB’s you receive towards your next purchase.  You can pick and chose what is best for your family.

    I would love to hear your CVS shopping story for this week!  For those of you who shop regularly at CVS please share how you were able to save this week!  Although the weekly ad sales are similar every family and situation is different so you may have found items better suited to your household.  In your comment please feel free to share a link to your blog article showing us how you were able to save shopping at CVS.

  • Living on a Budget: Groceries $40 for 4

    I am thankful for a weekly grocery budget on weeks like this past one.  Not only was it a busy week but I went over on my budget.  Looking back over the last several months I am amazed at how many groceries I am able to get for my family for a reasonable amount of money.  I used to think that having a $100 grocery bill was pretty good for our family, now if the grocery bill is above $20 or $30 that is a lot.  One of the main reason I do the weekly budget and update is to keep me accountable.  Like any goal in life some weeks you do well and other weeks…..well they just don’t go as planned.  Here is my weekly update on our Groceries $40 for 4.

    Groceries from CVS, Ingles, Family Dollar, and Save A Lot

    CVS Groceries:

    • $0.09 at CVS for 1 bag of individual Teddy Grahams snacks (18 count), 2 bags of individual Pretzels snacks (24 count each), 3 bags of individual Rice Krispy Treats.  (All the items were on clearance after the Halloween Holiday and will come in handy for school and work lunches.  The Extra Care Bucks were a huge savings help and I only had to pay the tax amount.)

    Ingles Groceries:

    • $14.50 at Ingles for 1 bag Laura Lynn Bread, 2 jugs Lemon Sweet Tea, 5 containers Cherry Chocolate Covered Pretzels, 2 containers Banana Split Mix, 3 containers California Dried Fruit Mix, 1 container Spicy Buffalo Nut Mix, and 1 bag Mini Pumpkins and Paint for Craft / Cooking.  (Everything I bought this week at Ingles was on sale, marked down, or on clearance!)

    Family Dollar Groceries:

    • $0.50 at Family Dollar for 1 bag of individual Pretzel Snacks (8 count).  (These individual pretzel bags are perfect for school and work lunches, plus it saves on not having to buy baggies to put chips / pretzels into.  I was able to get these on clearance after Halloween.)

    Save A Lot Groceries:

    • $8.74 at Save A Lot for 1 bag Cinnamon Bagels, 1 bag Plain Bagels, 1 gallon Milk, and 1 family pack Cube Steaks.  (All the items I picked up at Save A Lot were on clearance, the milk was marked down to 99 cents.)

     

    Groceries from Walmart

    Walmart Groceries:

    • $26.77 at Walmart for 1 bag Pepperoni, 2 Smithfields Ham Steaks, 1 block Borden Cheese, 1 block Cabot Cheese, 1 box Blue Bonnet Margarine, 1 bag Great Value Sugar, 1 bag Splenda Sugar Alternate, 1 box Little Hug Drink Barrels (This trip was taken with my family, we originally went into the store for black tights for the girls which they were sold out of.  Even though we did need some of these items it is amazing how quickly the total adds up when the items are not gotten on sale or clearance or with coupons.)

     

    This week I spent $50.60 on groceries.  Even though I went over on my budgeted amount for the week I was able to stock up on several items.  It is weeks like these that make me even more grateful for the budget I have in place to help guide me.  I had a little extra in the wallet to cover the overage, but I really want to get back under the budgeted amount next week.  The Halloween Sales were amazing and the items I picked up on will be beneficial for our family for several months so it was worth a few dollars to stock up the pantry.  I hope that next week is better week and we can come under budget.   Thankful for an opportunity to stock up on several items even though I was over this week!

    It is my goal to give you regular updates on this budget section so you can celebrate the good weeks with me and thump me on the bad weeks!  As always you are welcomed to join the journey with me.  I would love to hear your story and how you are doing too.  The purpose of our family doing this it to watch our grocery spending while allowing us to feed our family, enjoy life, share with others, and yet stay on track with our budget.

    Living on a Budget is a series of ways our family uses a budget to help keep us accountable with our finances.  Life doesn’t always go as planned.  We have used some of the ideas I will be sharing for years while others are ones we are just starting to implement as we continue finding ways to be creative and have fun with what we have been given.  Having a plan in place allows us the freedom to be smart with what we have been given, get more creative when it is a tight (week, month, year or a season) and when necessary live a much more simplified life.  A budget helps us stay on track so we have more opportunities to enjoy the many blessings we have been given as well as share what we have with others.  There is so much more to life than having all the stuff.  We may not have the newest or greatest items in our house, we drive used cars, and wear hand-me-down clothing…..however, if our family is taken care of and have love for each other and others we have more than all the riches in the world.

  • Living on a Budget: Groceries $40 for 4

    It was a blast having the girls shop with me and to have extra time together last week, but I must say I am glad to have Jake back.  I did manage to keep myself very busy while he was awhile so the week flew by quickly.   I am back to my “normal” schedule this week.    Here is my weekly update on our Groceries $40 for 4.

    Groceries Ingles and Save A Lot | RiteAid

     

    Ingles Groceries:
    • $16.10 at Ingles for 4 gallons of Pet Milk (marked down to $1 each), 2 Peach Tea, 1 Nectarine Juice, 1 bag Bananas, 1 container Tomatoes, 1 container Oranges / Grapefruits, 1 loaf Bread, 1 bag Snow peas, and 1 container Pork Filets,  (I was excited when the “milk” man marked down the already marked down milk to $1.00 each, I got 4 gallons and froze three of them when I got home.  Everything I bought this week at Ingles was on sale, marked down or on clearance including the produce, meat and milk!)
    Save-A-Lot |RiteAid Groceries:
    • $11.59 at Save-A-Lot | RiteAid for 24 pack Bottle Water, 1 pack Brown and Serve Rolls (12 count), 1 Cheddar Chex Mix, 1 box Toast Em Strawberry, 1 package Deli Ham, 1 package Roast Beef, 1 package Chicken Breast, 1 package Carrots (2 pounds), and 2 cans Pillsbury Biscuits.  (All the items purchased were on sale this week, for more information and coupon match-ups go to our  weeklySave-A-Lot page)
    Groceries from BiLo

     

    BiLo Groceries:
    • $5.51 at BiLo for 1 bag Southern Home Wavy Potato Chips and 1 gallon Milk (BiLo still has the best prices on milk on this side of town.  I picked up the chips for a snack for our Community Group.  Plus save $0.05 per bag for bringing my reusable bags.)

     

    Groceries from CVS
    CVS Groceries:
    • $0.75 at CVS for 4 bags Flava Puff Nacho, 1 bag Flava Puff Hot Party Mix, and 6 canisters Doritos Nacho Cheese Chips (I was able to get ALL of these items marked down on clearance for 75% to 90% off plus I used a $2.00 ECB coupon!  I should be good on chips for lunches the next couple weeks.)

    This week I spent $33.95 on groceries.  Even though I was a little under on my budgeted amount for the week I was able to stock up on several items.  Thankfully I had extra wiggle room this week to help on future grocery purchases.  I hope that next week is an even better week and we can come under budget.  I was THRILLED to get milk for $1.00 a gallon (milk averages between $3 to $4 and this brand is close to $6 per gallon normally.  Thankful for an opportunity to stock up on several other items!

    It is my goal to give you regular updates on this budget section so you can celebrate the good weeks with me and thump me on the bad weeks!  As always you are welcomed to join the journey with me.  I would love to hear your story and how you are doing too.  The purpose of our family doing this it to watch our grocery spending while allowing us to feed our family, enjoy life, share with others, and yet stay on track with our budget.

    Living on a Budget is a series of ways our family uses a budget to help keep us accountable with our finances.  Life doesn’t always go as planned.  We have used some of the ideas I will be sharing for years while others are ones we are just starting to implement as we continue finding ways to be creative and have fun with what we have been given.  Having a plan in place allows us the freedom to be smart with what we have been given, get more creative when it is a tight (week, month, year or a season) and when necessary live a much more simplified life.  A budget helps us stay on track so we have more opportunities to enjoy the many blessings we have been given as well as share what we have with others.  There is so much more to life than having all the stuff.  We may not have the newest or greatest items in our house, we drive used cars, and wear hand-me-down clothing…..however, if our family is taken care of and have love for each other and others we have more than all the riches in the world.

  • CVS: Spent $14 and Got $5 ECB’s Back (Saved Over 90%)

    CVS Clearance Deals

    I made a quick trip to CVS late last week on the way home from a couple meetings.  The trip was primary to use up a couple ECB’s that were about to expire and see if they had anything on clearance that we could use.  I was able to get the items for $14.20 including tax and received $5.00 ECB’s to use on my next CVS purchase.   The CVS I went to had items marked down to 75% to 90% on clearance so I was able to get the girls new sunglasses, gifts, chew toys for Skipper, and several items for Operation Christmas Child boxes.  Here is what I purchased this week.

    • 4 – Lint Rollers (50 count) on clearance for $0.25 each (total of $1.00)
    • 4 – Foam Puzzles on clearance (ABC’s, 123’s and Measurements) for $0.25 each (total of $1.00)
    • 2 – Sets of Laundry Dryer Balls (2 per set) on clearance $0.75 each (total of $1.50)
    • 2 – Dog Tennis Ball Toys (set of 2) on clearance for $0.25 each (total of $0.50)
    • 18 – Sunglasses on clearance (90% clearance) for $0.59 to $0.89 each
    • 2 – Dog Rope Toys on clearance for $0.25 each (total of $0.50)
    • 2 – Model Magic Presto Balls on clearance for $1.49 each (total of $2.98)
    • 2 – Ice Cream Stamps with Bubble Gum on clearance for $0.25 each (total of $0.50)
    • 2 – Necco Candy Dot Strips on clearance for $0.25 each (total of $0.50)
    • 1 – Revlon Top Speed Fingernail Polish $4.99 with $3.00 ECB’s back

    Here are the coupons I used on the items.

    • Used $2.00 CVS Kiosk Coupon
    • Used $5.00 CVS ECB’s

    I received $5.00 ECB’s back today:

    • $2.00 ECB’s for Summer Spending
    • $3.00 ECB’s for Revlon Products

    Today I was able to save $162.59 at CVS by purchasing these items and using coupons (over 90% savings).

    When you shop the CVS sales regularly and have ECB’s that you can roll over toward future purchases the bonus ECB’s start adding up (Green Bag Tags and Beauty Club).  As you can see from my shopping trip today you don’t have to purchase a lot to save money when shopping at CVS.  Plus you can use the additional ECB’s you receive towards your next purchase.  You can pick and chose what is best for your family.

    I would love to hear your CVS shopping story for this week!  For those of you who shop regularly at CVS please share how you were able to save this week!  Although the weekly ad sales are similar every family and situation is different so you may have found items better suited to your household.  In your comment please feel free to share a link to your blog article showing us how you were able to save shopping at CVS.

  • Living on a Budget: Groceries $40 for 4

    It was a “girls week” at our house with Jake being gone to California.  One of the “special activities” the girls requested to do for our girls week together was to go grocery shopping with Mommy, makes me smile!  They had a blast although I bought more then was on my list.  Guess it is okay to splurge a little on the kids especially if they are on their best behavior while Daddy is away.    Here is my weekly update on our Groceries $40 for 4.

    Groceries from Walmart and BiLo
    Walmart Groceries:
    • $8.29 at Walmart for 2 Oscar Mayer Lunchables, 1 Simply Kraft Sour Cream, 1 bag Great Value English Muffins, 1 bag sandwich Bread, 3 boxes General Mills Cocoa Puffs Cereal (I was able to get several of these items marked down – bread, priced matched – Lunchables, or on clearance – Cereal, it was $1.00 per box on clearance!)

    BiLo Groceries:

    • $12.41 at BiLo for 1 bag Wonka Splashberries Gummies, 1 bag Wonka Puckeroom Gummies, 1 can Del Monte  Stewed Tomatoes, 1 can Contadina Tomato Paste, 1 can Hunts Tomato Sauce, 1 can Hunts Diced Tomatoes with Jalapenos, 1 box Good & Fruity, 1 gallon Milk, 1 container Southern Home Sour Cream, and 1 pound Strawberries (I went in for milk…….as you can see the girls found a couple extra items which were marked down at closeout prices.  Everything, other than the milk, was marked down on clearance including the fresh strawberries.   The girls know that the “purple” tags in BiLo mean closeout prices so we better at least look at it!  I used reusable bags to get a 5 cent per bag credit.  My total before savings was $44.10 minus $31.69 in savings making it $12.41 for that trip and without using any coupons!  Love the closeout deals!)
    My big "splurge" in the grocery budget this week at Ingles after my attempt at multitasking did not work out so well.

    Ingles Groceries:

    • $5.48 at Ingles (YIKES!!!) I know I spent almost $6.00 on this amazing 4 cake sampler this week.  WHY you ask!?  Those in my church’s Community Group already know the answer but for the ones who want to know why I would spend that much on a dessert I will share a little insight into my crazy life with you.  I was up at 4 am on Sunday morning to take my sweet husband to the airport, went to church, ate lunch with the girls, did some activities around the house (probably should have taken a nap instead), made the dessert for Community Group that night then I started helping the girls with their Awana lessons (completely forgetting about the Mint Chocolate Chip Smore’s Brownies in the oven).  After awhile Brina went to get a drink from the kitchen and when she came back she said “Mom, it smells really good in the kitchen but it is a little cloudy.”  My immediate response “THE BROWNIES!”  Needless to say they were past presentable and eatable from the looks of it too at that point.  So on my way past Ingles after dropping the girls off at Awana I splurged on this cake.  It was delicious and I am thankful for the extra wiggle room in my grocery budget this week, but would like to not make a habit of these extra splurges.  Thank goodness for grocery budgets and having wiggle room for emergencies no matter how big or small. (FYI: this cake was on sale this week too, normally it is $6.48 so even though it was an emergency I was still able to save a little bit)  Note to future self: When your already running on fumes focus on one task at a time!

    This week I spent $26.18 on groceries.  Even though I was a little under on my budgeted amount for the week I was able to stock up on several items.  Thankfully I had extra wiggle room this week to cover the expense of my multitasking mistake (see Ingles grocery splurge above).  I hope that next week is an even better week and we can come under budget.

    It is my goal to give you regular updates on this budget section so you can celebrate the good weeks with me and thump me on the bad weeks!  As always you are welcomed to join the journey with me.  I would love to hear your story and how you are doing too.  The purpose of our family doing this it to watch our grocery spending while allowing us to feed our family, enjoy life, share with others, and yet stay on track with our budget.

    Living on a Budget is a series of ways our family uses a budget to help keep us accountable with our finances.  Life doesn’t always go as planned.  We have used some of the ideas I will be sharing for years while others are ones we are just starting to implement as we continue finding ways to be creative and have fun with what we have been given.  Having a plan in place allows us the freedom to be smart with what we have been given, get more creative when it is a tight (week, month, year or a season) and when necessary live a much more simplified life.  A budget helps us stay on track so we have more opportunities to enjoy the many blessings we have been given as well as share what we have with others.  There is so much more to life than having all the stuff.  We may not have the newest or greatest items in our house, we drive used cars, and wear hand-me-down clothing…..however, if our family is taken care of and have love for each other and others we have more than all the riches in the world.

  • CVS: Spent $0.41 and Got $4 ECB’s Back

    CVS Deals

    I have taken a few weeks off from shopping at CVS, but since I had some coupons expiring this week I decided to make a quick trip to CVS.  The trip was primary to use up my Free Product Coupons that were expiring at the end of September, use up a couple ECB’s that were about to expire and see if they had anything on clearance that we could use.  I was able to get the items for $0.41 including tax and received $4.98 ECB’s to use on my next CVS purchase.  Here is what I purchased this week.

    • 6 – School Sanitizer Wipes (20 count) on clearance for $0.25 each (total of $1.50) These are perfect size packs to stick in the girls lunch boxes for school so they can wipe their hands / table area before eating
    • 3 – Foam Felt Sticker Crafts on clearance for $0.50 each (total of $1.50)
    • 2 – Flexible Drinking Straws (100 count) on clearance for $0.50 each (total of $1.00) These are perfect for after school smoothies!
    • 2 – Blue Plastic Tablecloths on clearance $0.50 each (total of $1.00)
    • 2 – Mini Tablets (1 Orange / 1 Blue) on clearance for $0.50 each (total of $1.00)
    • 1 – File Folder Binder (Plastic and Blue/White) on clearance for $1.01 We keep all our receipts in these binders so I am ready for 2012 receipts.
    • 2 – Excedrin Migraine for $0.99 each (total $1.98) Free after ECB’s this week
    • 1 – Pantene Pro V 2 in 1 Shampoo and Conditioner Classic Clean 12.6 oz for $3.49 (this item was free because I had a free product coupon, see below)
    • 1 – Pantene Pro V 2 in 1 Shampoo and Conditioner Curly 12.6 oz for $3.48 (this item was free because I had a free product coupon, section below)
    • 1 – Cottonelle Fresh Flushable Wipes for $2.99 (this item was free because I had a free product coupon, see coupon section below)
    • 1 – Raspberry Skintimate Women’s Shaving Cream for $1.99 (this item was free because I had a free product coupon, see below)
    • 1 – Herbal Essence 2 in 1 Shampoo and Conditioner for $3.99 (this item was free because I had a free product coupon, see below)
    • 1 – Playtex Sport Tampons for $5.29 (this item was free because I had a free product coupon, see below)

    Here are the coupons I used on the items.

    • Used $1.99 Skintimate Free Product Coupon
    • Used $5.00 Playtex Free Product Coupon
    • Used $3.99 Herbal Essence Free Product Coupon
    • Used $3.49 Pantene Free Product Coupon
    • Used $3.48 Pantene Free Product Coupon
    • Used $2.89 Cottonelle Free Product Coupon
    • Used $3.00 CVS Kiosk Coupon
    • Used $6.00 CVS ECB’s

    I received $4.98 ECB’s back today:

    • $1.00 ECB’s for Pantene Products
    • $1.00 ECB’s for Green Bag Tag Rewards (every 4th visit you get a free $1.00 ECB)
    • $1.98 ECB’s for Excedrin Products

    Today I was able to save $32.98 at CVS by purchasing these items and using coupons.

    When you shop the CVS sales regularly and have ECB’s that you can roll over toward future purchases the bonus ECB’s start adding up (Green Bag Tags and Beauty Club).  As you can see from my shopping trip today you don’t have to purchase a lot to save money when shopping at CVS.  Plus you can use the additional ECB’s you receive towards your next purchase.  You can pick and chose what is best for your family.

    I would love to hear your CVS shopping story for this week!  For those of you who shop regularly at CVS please share how you were able to save this week!  Although the weekly ad sales are similar every family and situation is different so you may have found items better suited to your household.  In your comment please feel free to share a link to your blog article showing us how you were able to save shopping at CVS.

  • Fresh & Healthy: Deep Freezer Goodies – Purple Grapes, Blueberries, Bananas, Green Grapes, & Strawberries

    Freezing Seasonal Fruit - Blueberries, Bananas, Strawberries, Purple & Green Grapes

    This summer we were able to stock up on some fresh produce, including fruit.  Thanks to friends sharing their goodies, time picking produce as a family, and clearance items at our local grocery store we have been able to fill up a section of our freezer with delicious fruit.  The girls have been enjoying Smoothies the last couple of months and were super excited to stock up on some of these great items.  They are already planning on having smoothies after school because they will not be able to share them with me over lunch.

    Here is a great Smoothie Recipe:

    There are many variations to smoothies, may be sharing a couple more favorites over the next few weeks.  Add a handful of fruit you have on hand, a little cream (milk or yogurt), blend,  and you have a smoothie.  If you want a little extra sweetness you can add a touch of honey.  Usually after adding the fruit that is plenty sweet for us but we have tried a variety of different ones.

    Another great use for strawberries is as a healthy sauce!  When we have pancakes or waffles we blend up a cup or two of fresh strawberries to use as a dipping sauce in place of the traditional syrup.  It is healthier and fresher plus the whole family enjoys it.

  • Yard Sale Deals: Clothes & Shoes

    Some of the coordinating items we picked up at a local yard sale!

    I was thrilled at the neat people I met during some of my yard sale adventures.  One yard sale I went to this summer had twin girls that were a year older then my girls.  The best part about shopping at their yard sale is I was able to stock up on some coordinating clothes for the girls from sweaters to jeans, shirts, skirts, boots, and even clogs!

    I purchase 63 pieces (including shoes) for $12.00 making them approximately 19 cents each.  The red clogs are super cute too, we’ll see how well the girls like them!  These items are perfect for the upcoming school year and are in good condition.

    The day I went to this yard sale was overcast and raining until after 7 am that morning.  Half of the places I went to never even brought out their items so it was a slower day.  The yard sale where these items were discovered was just starting and it was after 10:30 am on Saturday.  They were just pulling out their items and setting up.  I am glad that we took a few moments to check this one out, it really was a great way for me to stock up on clothing for the girls.